Concrete tile and block machine



Oct. 16, 1934. w s V 1,977,257

CONCRETE TILE AND BLOCK MACHINE Original Filed NOV. 21, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 EB. Williams INVENTQR.

' -ATVTORNEY Oct. 16, 1934. B WILLIAMS 1,977,257

CONCRETE TILE AND BLOCK MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 21. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5. Fig. 6.

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ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1934.

F. WILLIAMS 1,977,257

CONCRETE TILE AND BLOCK MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 21, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 EB. Williams INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEY' Oct. 16, 1934. F. B. WILLIAMS CONCRETE TILE AND BLOCK MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4- Original Filed Nov. 21, 1931 FEM/[jams IN VEN TOR.

O ZA- 9f ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1934. BQWILUAMS 1,977,257

CONCRETE TILE AND BLOCK MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 21. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ..,..HICLIIIIZIEL...--.--.- L J i I i a 59 A. FB. Williams INVENIOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 21, 1931, Serial No. 576,528 Renewed September 6, 1934 3 Claims.

Referenceis hereby made to my pending application, styled, John L. McDonough and French 13. Williams, Serial Number 467,459, filed July 12, 1930. Tile making machine which has become Patent 1,921,237.

This invention has reference to concrete tile and block machines and has for its principal object to provide a machine of this character for the manufacture of cylindrical tile and building 10. blocks.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character embodying a spindle which may be dropped from its uppermost position to the bottom of moulds and means for checking the speed of said spindle, so as not to strike the end of its stroke with any damaging force.

A still iurtherobject of this invention is to provide a combination machine of this character, whereby a multiplicity of moulds may be worked together by separating said moulds with dividing plates.

The invention further consists in the novel features of construction, combination and operative association of parts such as are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a side eelvation of my invention. Figure 2 is a sectional side view of half nut assembly.

Figure 3 is a plan view of half nut assembly.

Figure 4 is an end view of half nut assembly.

Figure 5 is a front view of the invention.

Figure 6 is a vertical section showing the relation between the half nut assembly, spindle,'cyl inder and housing. i Figure '7 is a section of the bell forming apparatus and mould.

Figure 8 is a side view of cylindrical mould.

Figure 9 is a plan view of cylindrical mould hinge.

Figure 10 is a plan view of driving lug.

Figure 11 is a side view of vertical packer.

Figure 12 is aside view of pressure bit showing slnrtflQ cut away, so that driving lug 77 may be shown assembled.

Figure 13 is a plan view of horizontal packer brace.

Figure 14 is an end view of skirt.

Figure 15 is a plan view of the machine.

Figure 16 is a section of cylindrical mould, showing pressure bit, plastic material and bell former.

Figure 17 is an endview of square building (CI. -30) i block mould showing also concrete or plastic material inserted therein.

Figure 18 is a side elevation of building block mould, dividing plate and part of another mould of the same character.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

In constructing a machine of this character, a suitable framework of any desired material is provided for holding and bracing the several parts and mechanisms in position.

Rotatably mounted in said framework, a spindle is provided to work vertically from the bottom of moulds upward, through and above the moulds and at the same time or operation rotate and force (by means of a pressure bit mounted thereon) the concrete material outward to the inside'wall of said moulds.

A bell forming means is provided at the bottom of said moulds working in conjunction with the pressure bit on spindle for forming the inside of bells and automatically releasable therefrom when spindle starts its upward travel.

Suitable driving means are provided for rotating said spindle and means are provided for releasing the spindle at its uppermost position, thereby causing same to drop of its own weight, and means for checking the speed or drop of same before striking the end of its stroke, by providing a cylinder encircled around the upper portion of said spindle working in conjunction with a sealing piston mounted on spindle.

Reference is hereby made in detail to the accompanying drawings. A structural steel framework is shown in Figures 1 and 5, the numerals 1 indicating floor plates, vertical supports 2, rear braces 3, cross members 57, rear brackets 87 and bearing supports 95 and 96.

Spindle 18 is rotatably supported in said framework by housing 88 half nuts 33 and drive gear 43 and is also provided to work vertically from the bottom of lower table 59 upwards to clutch trip 94. The upper portion of spindle 18 is provided with threads which mesh into half nuts 33 and is also provided with key-way which runs the full length of said threads on spindle 18. Drive gear 43 is provided with a key which works in conjunction with key-way on spindle and serves to rotate same.

Spindle 18 is dropped from its uppermost position by releasing half nuts 33 from the threads of spindle 18, and the speed downward is checked near the end of its stroke by the pressure created in cylinder by piston 90. Piston 90 is secured to spindle 18 at a desired position by means of pin 92 and the wall of cylinder and periphery of piston 90 is sealed by means of piston ring 91 and seal washer 89.

Cylinder 55 is shown secured to housing 88 at the bottom by means of threads and at the top by plug 28. Extending from top to bottom of cylinder 55 will be seen return pipe 26 which serves to release the desired amount of pressure created in cylinder 55 above the piston. The pressure is regulated by means of adjustment valve 27. Numeral 93 indicates adjustable packing gland, same being securedto housing 88, this serves to seal the opening between spindle 18 and housing 88.

The half nuts 33 are provided with threads on the inside which are the same pitchasthose on the upper portion of spindle 18, the former also being provided with means for opening and clos ing same on the threads of spindle 18. Figures 2, 3 and l illustrate half nuts 33in relation to half nut retainer 34, the former being guided at the top by plates 85. It will also be noted that half nuts 33 are slidably mounted in half nut retainer 34. j 4

.The half nuts 33 ar actuated by means of hand lever 22, same being secured to shaft 20. Said shaft 20 is journaled at each end by means of bearings 19. Secured to shaft 20 are connecting levers 199, which serve to raise and lower rods 21. Provided at the top of rods 21 are connecting yokes 31 which serve to connect levers 30 and 32 together. V

. Levers 30 are loosely connected at one end by brackets 29 and at the other end by connecting yolks 31 and levers 32 are loosely connected to half nuts 33 at one end and to connecting yokes 31- at the other.

In Figure 6, it will be noted that half nuts 33 are closed on spindle l8 and that levers 30 and 32 are on a straight line, same being braced at the ends by brackets 29 (shown in Fig. 5) at thisposition half nuts 33 will be held secure around spindle 18 until released by hand lever 22.

The clutch is actuated by means of clutch lever 23 pivoted to bracket 102, the former actuating the corresponding parts as, connecting rod 24,;

connecting lever 15 secured to shaft 36, connecting lever 37 also secured to shaft 36, horizontal connecting rod 52 and thence to clutch yolk 97. Said clutch yolk 97 being pivoted at its shorter end by pin 99 which is screwed into arm 39 and supported to a desired heighth by bushing 40. Clutch yolk 9'7 is also provided with clutch dogs 98 which are retained loosely in slide clutch 46 and clutch yolk 47 so as to engage and disengagewith pulley clutch idler 19, same being provided to idle on drive shaft l? when slide clutch 43 is disengaged.

Drive shaft 4''! is provided at a desired distance from each end with bearings 46 and 50. A set collar 51 is provided to take up theend play on drive shaft 47. Drive pinion 42 is secured tightly to drive shaft 47 and meshed into drive gear 43,

the latter being provided with a key which worksin conjunction with key way on the upper part of spindle 18 and running longitudinally thereon. As shown in Figure 5, the spindle 18 is at the bottom of its stroke and secured thereon is shown pressure bit assembly (same being illustrated complete in Fig. 12) prepared ready for its travel upwards. Said pressure'bit assembly is secured on spindle 18 by means of nut 78 working in conjunction with threads on end of spindle 18. The pressure bit assemblyconsists of driving lug 7.7;

,thebottom by lower table 59 and at the top by Slide clutch 48 is mounted free on drive shaft therefrom.

' Cylindrical mold is is held in position at the upper table 15, said upper table 15 is provided to work vertically and is slidably mounted on vertical supports 2 and is actuated by table lever 4 to allow the moulds to be inserted and removed therefrom.

As shown in Figures 1 and-5, table lever 4 is provided with latch means as at 5 and 8, same serving-to hold upper table 15 in position while molds are inserted'between the .said'tables. Table lever 4 is secured at the end of shaft 9. Said shaft 9 being supported at both ends by bearings 19. Secured to shaft 9 will be noted table levers 108 and-connected thereto are table connecting rods' 12, same being connected to .slide brackets 14 by means of yokes 13.

A retainer hopper 86 is secured to vertical supports 2ratone end and at the other end by support roduloo. Said retainer hopper 86 being of a desired size. to retain the concrete material while making tile.. An opening is provided in uper table 15 to allow pressure bit to pass through and also to allow the concrete material to be inserted in the moulds.

. The bell forming means are shown more clearly inFigure 7 in relation to foot lever 61 and weight 62. Bell former 71 is secured to bell yolk 69. said bell yolk isprovided to turn free on shaft 66 and is'held. intoposition by collars 68 and cap 70. As shown in Figures 5, 7 and 16, the bell former ,llis at its uppermost position and is provided torevolve by means of driving lug 77 working in conjunction with bell yoke 69. Shaft 66 is supported by bearing165 and cross member 10.

' Foot lever 61is loosely connected'to shaft 66 by means of pin '75 and is suspended from lower table 59 by suspension bar 60 and pins 56. Weight 62 causes a pressure upwards on bell former 71, said pressure may be adjusted by setting weight 62 at'any desired positionv on foot lever 61. Weight 621s held in position by means of set screw 63. Frame member 64 secures bearing 65 in place.

- As illustrated in Figure 5, the machine is in position for making cylindrical tile with bell end, spindlelS being at its lowermost position. The cylindrical mould 16 is held in place by upper table 15 and lower table 59. Spindle 18 is caused to revolve by engaging clutch with clutch lever 23. Drivinglug 77 on pressure bit causes bell former '71 to rotate with pressure bit, therefore forcing the-concrete material outward to the inside of cylindrical mould 16 and forming the inside of' bell at thebottom of cylindricalmould l6. Spindle 18 starts its upward travel when half nuts 33 are engaged with hand lever 22, thus engaging the threads in half nuts 33 with those on spindle 18. At this point, bell former 71 disengages fromdriving'lug 77, and spindle 18 continues upward, forcing the concrete material outward to the inside of cylindrical mould 16 by means of 150 pressure bit, mounted on said spindle 18. The said pressure bit is shown more clearly in relation to the concrete material in Figure 16.

A trip collar 17 is secured to spindle 18 at a desired position same serving to trip the clutch by pressing against and moving upward clutch trip 94. Said clutch trip is loosely mounted around spindle 18 so that the said spindle 18 may turn free therein and is supported at one end by vertical trip rod 25. The latter being connected to connecting lever 53, which in turn actuates shaft 36, thus causing clutch to trip or disengage.

Spindle 18, reaching the end of its upward travel and being stopped by clutch trip 94 disengaging clutch, the mould is then removed by raising upper table 15 with table lever 4. Said upper table is held up while changing moulds by means of latch 5 mounted on table lever 4. Latch 5 is provided at one end to fit the slots in index plate 8, same locking upper table 15 in position. A cam arm '7 is also secured to shaft 9, same being provided with a roller 6 inserted in the end, this serves to hold foot lever 61 down while upper table is raised. The bell former 71 is lowered through lower table 59 by foot lever 61.

In making square building blocks and cylindrical tile without bells, two or more moulds may be used at the same operation by placing one upon the other as shown in Figure 18. A dividing plate 105 is used to separate square moulds 106. The dividing plates used for cylindrical tile are not shown in the drawings but are made to retain the cylindrical moulds as shown by the numeral 105.

Three corners of square moulds 106 are provided with hinge members, same being held together by taper pins '75, while the fourth corner is held together by latches 107. Handles 103 are provided for handling and carrying the said moulds. In Figure 1'7 is shown an end view of square mould 106 with the concrete material shown by numeral 104 inserted therein.

As shown in Figure 8, cylindrical mould 16 is provided with bell end '76 and hinge 72, the latter being provided with latch bar 74 and latch handle 73. Cylindrical mould 16 is also provided to open on hinges wide enough to allow same to be removed from tile.

With my method and apparatus it will be noted that concrete cylindrical tile and square building blocks may be made on the same machine and that a great amount of time saved by dropping the spindle to the bottom of the moulds, therefore saving the time which it would ordinarily take for same to be reversed and screwed to the bottom of the moulds.

The construction and operation of this improvement as herein set forth has reference to one form of my device, as it is to be understood that a patent to be granted on this application is limited only tothe state of the prior art and therefore I hold myself entitled to such changes in form and construction as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A concrete tile and block machine of the class described embodying a spindle with threads thereon, provided to operate conjointly with horizontally disposed half-nuts, and a cylinder, said cylinder enclosed around the upper part of said spindle, means for checking the downward fall of said spindle.

2. A concrete tile and block machine of the class described embodying a vertically disposed spindle with the upper part thereof provided with threads, threaded half-nuts traversely disposed to spindle and provided with means for engaging and disengaging the threads on spindle, a piston secured to spindle, means for releasing spindle from its uppermost position and air-cylinder means for checking the fall of said spindle.

3. A concrete tile and block machine of the class described comprising a vertically disposed spindle provided to operate conjointly with horizontally disposed half-nuts, means for engaging and disengaging said half-nuts, a vertically disposed cylinder enclosed around spindle, a piston secured to spindle and provided to operate vertically with cylinder.

FRENCH B. WILLIAMS. 

